Turquoise

December's birthstone

Photograph by Shawn Hempel, Alamy

Represents success

Anything you put your mind to works out well, including moneymaking projects. “Defeat” is not in your vocabulary.

Old-school myths

Some people believed turquoise was a love charm. If a man gave a woman turquoise jewelry, he was pledging his love for her. Many Native Americans thought turquoise could bring needed rain and ensured accurate aim while hunting. Even today in certain Native American cultures, the blue of the turquoise symbolizes the sky and green symbolizes Earth.

Rock-solid facts

Turquoise forms where mineral-rich water seeps into rocky gaps. Over time only the minerals remain—as turquoise. The copper in turquoise gives the gem its shades of blue and green.